Time to Lead

Yes, I’ve been lazy updating the studio blog, apologies for that. So, I’ll write a a bigger update now 🙂

Yes, most of the keyboards are now completed 🙂 I’ve been using my trustworthy combo of Kurzweil K7, Yamaha motif-rack xs and Roland Phantom for all the work, plus couple virtual instrument lead sounds, which I’m not yet going to reveal yet and a big bunch of orchestration virtual instruments (not all are in place yet, but I recorded leads, choirs and orchestration parts as midi too). So far it seems that this will be the first album without harpsichord sound (if I remember correctly, don’t remember all the songs from demo-perioid). And no Hammond sound, yet at least. I’m still waiting for final guitars from Harri, ’cause I need to change certain things according to guitar, so we’re definitely not yet there. Obviously solos are not yet done…

As for the keyboards, this album will sound a bit different from previous Ultimatium albums, mainly because the lead sound (main sound picture below) is most dominant in this album, piano being next in line. While composing these songs, I noticed that it was quite refreshing to change the dominant sound, since the keyboards riffs I came up with we’re quite different from what I composed earlier.

Couple of words for tech enthusiast’s about my equipment: As stated on previously post, I’m using win7 + pro tools (the cheap version, not HD) for recording + brand new RME raydat and M-Audio 2626 preamp/interface (which I’m going to retire after this album). And of course with tons of virtual instruments and plugins etc. And an iPad for controlling the pro tools, so I don’t have to jump between computer and keyboards so often. And as for the actual playing, my method is simple: keep playing ultil you’re happy with it 😀 That sometimes takes a lot of nerves to spend one hour just for 20sec of music 🙂

So, what’s next then: rest of the guitars from Harri, Haipus starts recording bass around a month from now and I’ll start figuring out the vocal recordings. And solos and also the non-musical aspects of this album (we need a title, a cover and packaging and…what was it…something important…no not that… Oh, A label to release our album!). Also, I recorded tons of video material while recording the leads (+6h ), so I’ll be posting some videos to our youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ultimatiummetal

And there’s a new controller for recording the solos, say Hello to legendary Yamaha dx7. Maybe I’ll even use one square lead sound from this machine 😉